South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has been banned from leaving the country on Monday, the justice ministry said, less than a week after briefly imposing martial law which plunged the country into chaos.
On the 3rd of December, Yoon sent special forces and helicopters to parliament before lawmakers quickly rejected his martial law decree, forcing him to rescind it.
Despite narrowly surviving an impeachment vote on Saturday, Yoon continues to face mounting legal challenges.
However, his administration is under scrutiny despite remaining in office, with several high-profile figures, including Yoon’s allies, also facing travel bans and a probe for alleged insurrection.
On Monday, The Ministry of Justice confirmed that Yoon had become the first sitting South Korean president to be banned from leaving the country.
A lawmaker was asked at a parliamentary hearing on Monday whether Yoon had been banned from leaving the country. “Yes, that’s right,” Bae Sang-up, an immigration services commissioner at the ministry, replied.
Also under travel bans for their roles in last week’s events are former defence minister Kim Yong-Hyun – currently in detention—and ex-interior minister Lee Sang-min.
General Park An-su, the officer in charge of the martial law operation, and defence counterintelligence commander Yeo In-hyung are also barred from leaving the country. Investigators hauled Park in for further questioning on Monday.
‘Second coup’
The impeachment push failed to pass after members of Yoon’s own People Power Party (PPP) walked out of parliament, preventing a two-thirds majority. In exchange, Yoon reportedly agreed to transfer power to the prime minister and party chief, but this arrangement has sparked fierce opposition.
“This is an unlawful, unconstitutional act of a second insurrection and a second coup,” Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae said on Monday.
Under South Korea’s constitution, the president serves as both the head of government and the commander-in-chief of the military, unless incapacitated, resigns, or steps down. In such cases, power would temporarily shift to the prime minister until elections are held.
Claiming that Yoon can remain in office but has delegated his powers to the prime minister and leader of his ruling PPP—who is not elected—is “a blatant constitutional violation with no legal basis,” Park said.
“Their attitude of placing themselves above the constitution mirrors that of insurrectionist Yoon Suk Yeol,” he said.
Power vacuum?
Despite the political turmoil, the Defence Ministry confirmed that Yoon continues to oversee South Korea’s military, even as a perceived power vacuum looms in a nation still technically at war with North Korea.
“Legally, (control of military forces) currently lies with the commander in chief,” Defence Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-Kyou said.
Yoon has apologised for the “anxiety and inconvenience” caused by his declaration of martial law but has not stepped down, saying instead he would entrust decisions about his fate to his party.
He also accepted responsibility for the martial law debacle.
There is no constitutional basis supporting the ruling party’s claim that Yoon can stay in office but hand over his power to unelected party officials, said Kim Hae-won, a constitutional law professor at Pusan National University Law School.
“It seems to resemble an unconstitutional soft coup,” he said.
“If there are issues with the president, there are ways laid out in the constitution, such as suspending the president from his duties, and then move on to proceedings set out in the constitution, such as impeachment,” he said.
The opposition has vowed to attempt another impeachment vote, with opposition leader Lee Jae-Myung announcing a new vote scheduled for Saturday.
Large crowds are expected to gather once again outside the National Assembly building.
According to a new Gallup poll commissioned by local media, Yoon’s approval rating hit 11%, a historic low for the unpopular president.
